Canada—experiencing the sacred forest in Vancouver

Mariellen Ward

Mariellen Ward is a professional travel writer based in Toronto and Delhi, torn between the natural beauty of Canada and the chaos and colour of India. She writes for many online and offline publications and publishes the award-winning travel blog Breathedreamgo, inspired by her extensive travels in India, Canada and beyond.

The temperate rain forests of the West Coast of Canada are magnificent to behold. You could say that forests are our sacred groves. In a young and secular country with a small population and vast expanses of pristine wilderness, our forests are our natural temples. This is what attracts many tourists, and you don't have to be a rugged explorer to appreciate our northern paradise. The West Coast temperate rainforest can be found lovingly preserved at Capilano Suspension Bridge Park.

Just a short drive across the famous Lion's Gate Bridge from downtown Vancouver, and located in a well-to-do suburb, 27-acre Capilano Park is truly a delight and well worth the visit. The park is 125 years old, and has a rich and interesting history with interwoven strands of both native and immigrant cultures, all of which are particularly well displayed.

What I enjoyed most, was the atmosphere and natural environment. Although Capilano Suspension Bridge Park is a tourist attraction, it is one of the rare ones that actually preserves the special ambience of the natural environment, while making it accessible with displays, signage, interactive exhibits and nature and history tours.

As you walk softly on a thick carpet of reddish pine needles, you feel enveloped by the lushness, moist air and sun-dappled greenery. Iridescent ferns, bright mosses, and trickling streams of fresh water catch your eye at ground level. Crowds of evergreens—cedar, pine and fir trees—soften the middle distance. Majestic Douglas Firs thrust upwards, ram-rod straight, creating a lofty canopy. Birds twitter among the branches, while squirrels gambol up and down tree trunks and butterflies alight on lush ground-level foliage. There is a quiet sanctity, a reverence in the air that slows the gait and lowers the voices of casual visitors.

I met a couple from Kerala, both biologists, who were very enthusiastic about the park and the new and different species they were encountering. Like me, they felt truly immersed in the forest—well managed, maintained and easy to explore. Capilano is an especially interesting destination for families and foreigners, probably because there are so many opportunities to experience and learn about the natural environment in this part of the world. Elders can stroll the well-maintained paths while kids can climb up to the treetops along the Cliffwalk—I met several families from India, where all three generations were enjoying different activities. A family from Gurgaon told me they loved the warm people, the nature and greenery of British Columbia. Families from Bombay and Gujarat told me they loved the freshness and cleanliness.

The first thing I did after reaching Capilano was to walk slowly through the Story Centre, a well-produced and interactive pathway designed to teach you about the park's history in an engaging manner. I learned that in 1888, a Scottish engineer named George Grant Mackay bought 6,000 acres along the Capilano River and built the first suspension bridge. A sturdier bridge replaced the original, and the site became a tourist attraction in the 1920s and 30s. In 1953, a new owner, Rae Mitchell, built the current bridge, developed the park and promoted it aggressively. His daughter, Nancy Stibbard, spent about 10 years (from 1983-1993) working on the park to bring it up to the high standard you see today.

I also learned there was indeed a connection with the natives of the area. In fact, the word Capilano is derived from Kia'palano, a Squamish word for 'beautiful river', and Chief Joe Matthias Kia'palano was hired in the 1930s to tell stories and teach visitors about the Native way of life. More recently in the 1980s, local Native artist Wayne Carlick was hired to create most of the Story Poles (often referred to as totem poles) you see around the property. Each is carved from a single cedar log and tells a story through symbolism and imagery. My guide Alex, told me the story of his favourite pole—about how all the light of the world was held within a box until the chief saw that his daughter was beautiful, and released the light. Alex is a history tour guide, an anthropology student who knows a lot about Native art and culture.

The Story Centre and Story Poles are located on the east side of the Capilano river, along with a cafe, restaurant, the Trading Post store and the Cliffwalk. This is the park's newest and most impressive attraction: a cantilevered walkway clinging to the granite cliff high above Capilano Canyon. It really is a marvel, and just like everything else at Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, it has been built with sustainability and the environment in mind. Only one tree was cut down in its making, and all the materials used are renewable. In fact, it was built off-site to lower its impact on the fragile environment.

The forest is on the other side, and to get there you have to walk across the swaying suspension bridge—137 m across, and 70 m above—the Capilano River. On the forest side you will find trails, a trout pond, a rainforest exhibit and the Treetops Adventure, which comprises of seven suspension bridges that take you 30 m above the forest floor and give you a 'squirrel's eye view.'

Walking among the canopy in the Treetops Adventure or suspended over the canyon on the Cliffwalk gives you a unique and special perspective on the forest. You can see it bursting with life at every level.The sun shining on the tips of evergreen trees makes them look like intricate stained-glass designs. Water in the river far below sparkles and sings as it burbles over the rocks. A large bird with a wide wingspan soars overhead, seemingly in slow motion. It is like being in a living temple, and it makes you feel part of the whole, part of the oneness that pervades all.

I was truly impressed with this park, which preserves and displays the natural environment using taste and sensitivity. It's spotlessly clean, well-maintained, very comfortable and offers visitors an astounding array of options. If you just want to eat and shop, you will find top-quality, local items for sale. If you want to dive into the forest and soak up the natural environment, you will find long trails winding through the woods. If you want some thrills, the suspension bridge and Cliffwalk will give you an eagle's eye view of the river, way below. If you want to learn about nature, history or culture, you can join the guided tours.

There is something for everyone here. And long after you leave—if you are like me—you will remember how you felt surrounded by the majesty of nature, and by people who actually really care.

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Canada—experiencing the sacred forest in Vancouver

The temperate rain forests of the West Coast of Canada are magnificent to behold. You could say that forests are our sacred groves. In a young and secular country with a small population and vast expa...